This month is my 18th December living in Paris, and as I reflect on that time, I’m struck by how much the city still enchants and surprises me. It might be a buzzy neighborhood, a refurbished historical marvel like Notre Dame, a dining experience, or something more unexpected. Someone in the business of sussing out and building such experiences, including some I have attended, is today’s guest Catherine Down. She’s a food writer and travel and event consultant who joins to talk about the most surprising spaces and experiences in Paris, what she finds so meaningful about the city after 12 years as a resident and what she recommends if you’re coming to town this month. 

Mentioned in this episode:

Catherine Down

Catherine's newsletter

Catherine on Instagram

Modern Love NYT essay

Caractère de Cochon

Le Marché Saint Germain

Ice Skating at the Grand Palais 

Café Mirabelle

Le Doyenné 

Repaire de Cartouche 

Le Baron Rouge 

Le Bon Marché 

Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan

⁠Music by Little Glass Men⁠

In times of turmoil, we naturally seek sources of calm. And in Paris, perhaps nothing that recenters Parisians more than the Seine. The city’s most iconic waterway has shaped its mythology long before there were tourist boats and selfie-taking travelers. Today, the significance of the Seine is front and center again, thanks to the Olympics and a billion-euro cleanup project. To talk about this, I’m joined by my friend and fellow journalist Mary Winston Nicklin, who reported National Geographic’s cover story on the Seine earlier this year.

Mentioned in this episode:

⁠Mary Winston Nicklin⁠

⁠National Geographic Cover Story (Online edition)⁠

The ancient goddess of the Seine River: Sequana

⁠The Man Who Swam the Seine⁠ (GQ)

Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan

⁠⁠Music by Little Glass Men⁠⁠

Did you know that Arabic is the second most spoken language in France? However, the way it is perceived and taught has led many Arabic speakers in France to either abandon the language or not pass it down to their children. It’s this particular experience that the journalist Nabil Wakim sought to investigate in his documentary for France 2, Mauvaise Langue. He joins the show to talk about the project, what has been done, or not done, politically to boost Arabic instruction and France’s relationship with the Arabic language.

Mentioned in this episode:

Nabil Wakim, Le Monde

L’Arabe pour Tous book

Mauvaise Langue documentary

Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, former minister of education under François Hollande

Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan

⁠Music by Little Glass Men⁠

It’s been several months since the President threw us into a mess by calling a snap election and in early September, months overdue, Macron finally named a prime minister. What does his choice mean for the country, and what does it signal to voters who cast their ballots for the left coalition? I speak with Alexander Hurst, a writer and columnist for The Guardian whose recent op-ed looks into what went wrong and what issues the new government inherits. 

Mentioned or featured in this episode:

Alexander Hurst

French politics analogy in the Guardian op-ed

Alexander's op-ed column for The Guardian

French debt

French taxes

Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan

⁠Music by Little Glass Men

After enduring nearly a year of pandemic-related isolation and a punishing lack of human touch, author Glynnis MacNicol boarded a plane for Paris in August, 2021 to sublet a friend’s apartment for the month. She was 47 years old and on a mission—100% enjoyment. An exploration of pleasure. Close contact. Her memoir about this time, called I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself, came out a few months ago and I was delighted to interview her in Paris last week at The Red Wheelbarrow bookstore. This episode is a recording of that conversation.

Mentioned in this episode:

Glynnic MacNicol

Order "I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself"

Glynnis's New York Times Op-ed

Glynnis on CBS Morning

It’s the end of summer holidays, the city is slowly filling up again and that means, novelty is upon us. I associate this time with new restaurant openings, events, and even pop-ups that will carry us to the end of the year. It’s a return to life. One person who is full of life, with plenty of creative ideas to usher in a new season, is Fanny Boucher. She’s the creator of the jewelry brand Bangla Begum and she joins the show to talk about moving to Paris after high school, becoming an entrepreneur, and developing her personal style while living in Jaipur for nearly a decade. 

Mentioned in this episode:

⁠Fanny Boucher⁠

⁠Bangla Begum⁠

⁠Visit the atelier⁠

Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan

⁠Music by Little Glass Men

After years of planning and a solid 7 months of Parisian complaining, the Olympics are here! Over their history, they have put some tourist destinations on the map, attempted to build unity, and accelerated social and infrastructural change in host cities. Of course, not everyone benefits, and the legacy of the Olympics, including the impact on tourism, is fraught. To discuss both Paris 2024 and the broader issue of tourism, the good, the bad, and the complicated, I'm joined by Paige Mclanahan, a fellow travel journalist and the author of the new book The New Tourist: Waking Up to the Power and Perils of Travel.

Mentioned in this episode:

Paige McClanahan's work

Paige on Instagram

The Better Travel Podcast

Buy Paige's Book

The Case Against Travel essay

Copenhagen Rewards Tourists for Good Behavior

Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan

⁠Music by Little Glass Men⁠

In the last episode, you heard me talk to Katy Lee about the snap elections in France. Why they happened, what they mean, and what party was predicted to perform well in the first round. Now, the day before the second round and not only has everything we discussed come to pass, but the stakes are even higher now. Let's go through the results of the first round, what they mean, and why the far right really does present the same danger it always has for democracy in France.

Mentioned in this episode:

Episode 133 with Katy Lee

Rym Momtaz on CNN

Eric Fassin on France 24

1930s Germany

French scientist op-ed in Le Monde

Lauren Collins' newsletter

Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan

⁠⁠Music by Little Glass Men⁠

(This episode was recorded on June 14)

There's a lot to unpack following President Macron’s decision to dissolve the lower house of parliament and call snap elections for the end of June and there is no one better to dive in with me than journalist and podcaster Katy Lee. We discuss the role of these elections, what Macron’s move means for the country, and the political alliances that have formed in record-breaking time. Is there reason to remain hopeful? Have a listen and find out. 

Mentioned in this episode:

Katy Lee of The Europeans podcast

Katy Lee's Twitter (X) thread

The Europeans episode on the European Elections

Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan

⁠Music by Little Glass Men⁠

There’s something about leaving Paris, even briefly, and returning that makes all of its idiosyncrasies and charms all the more compelling and obvious. And sometimes, it takes talking with someone who is a particularly keen observer of daily life to highlight these elements even further. Seb Emina, today’s guest, is one such example. The writer and former editor of The Happy Reader joins the show to talk about moving from London to Paris, the essence of the Parisian experience, and how he feels about the city hosting the Olympic Games.   

Mentioned in this episode:

Seb Emina

Seb’s Substack: Read Me  

The Happy Reader

The Gentlewoman

Le Musée des Arts Forains 

Five Radio Stations

Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan

⁠Music by Little Glass Men⁠